The good. The bad. The sprained.

I welcome the next 3 weeks of taper before the marathon with open arms. and a sprained ankle.

The Good

The good news is that marathon training is now in full taper mode. I put in the long runs and miles and now is the time to let my body heal from how hard I have been pushing it so I can run a strong 26.2 miles on March 20th.

More good news is that my family and Phil's family (and Whitney's family too) has booked flights and hotels to Cozumel for Ironman in November. woo hoo! Huge family vacation. We are very very lucky and blessed to have such wonderful and supportive families. Plus, it's a damn awesome excuse to go to Cozumel ;)

And in more good news- Phil and I are heading to Breckenridge Colorado this Thursday for a long weekend getaway. While he snowboards (I will not be skiing...I don't want a repeat of our first ski trip together and I would like all the ligaments in my knee to stay put) I will be relaxing in the ski lodge with a book. I also booked a 2 hour sports massage to get all of the toxins out of my muscles.

The Bad

This weekend was the last long run of the marathon training plan. 22 miles. 22 miles that absolutely kicked my ass. I don't know what I did to my ankle, but I think the combination of pronating with the sheer volume I have been running caused me to sprain my ankle. To make it worse, we did an 11 mile out and back, so by the time my ankle really started to kill at mile 13, I had no choice but to jog/walk/hobble the 9 more miles home. I'm sure that did not help.

It was so frustrating to have to deal with that pain during the last long run. However, it did prove to me that the distance is not an issue. I have no doubt in my mind that I will finish the marathon...but I would really love it if I were not in pain the whole time.

The Sprained

I plan to take the next 3 weeks and really give my legs and my whole body some TLC. Lots of water. Lots of sleep. Lots of rest. Lots of icing.

I hope that even though my taper is starting off with a sprained ankle, I can nurture it back to health and race a strong marathon in a few weeks.

Cross your fingers for me.  

Tuesday Ten!

This version of the Tuesday Ten includes 10 random things you may not know about me. Enjoy!

1. I wont eat chicken if I know it has been previously frozen, if it resides in a can (like canned chicken noodle soup) or has been in the fridge for longer than 3 days.
2. I was on the USA Junior Olympic Luge team and was one of the last people to ride down the Olympic luge track in Lake Placid before they tore it down to build a new one in 2000.

3. Phil and I met at an indoor rock climbing gym. He teaches rock climbing classes for fun in his spare time and I took his class on July 6th 2008. I was in sweatpants, had on no make up and pretty sure I was hungover from the night before. Phil also made me climb the rock wall wearing an orange helmet. The helmet must have been super sexy because almost three years later we are still goin' strong :)

4. I lived in Brisbane Australia with one of my best friends for several months. We went scuba diving on the barrier reef, hiked through rain forests, played with kangaroos and partied a ton. Oh, and went to school...sometimes. I cant wait to go back one day.


5. One of my favorite things we did in Australia was take a trapeze class. I was a natural! I was able to do a catch on my first try. It must be from the years of gymnastics.

6. I love peas. I always keep a few cans in the apartment to just snack on sometimes...totally grosses Phil out, but I'm ok with that.
7. I HATE doing the dishes. I would rather clean the bathroom then do the dishes.
8. I have a tattoo on my right foot of a hibiscus, which is a flower found all over Fiji. I got this tattoo after visiting Fiji and seeing how happy the natives were even though they lived in mud huts and washed their clothes in the river. It is to remind me to always be thankful for what I have. It also has my older sister's signature in it because she has been one of the most influential people in my life. Here is a picture of Jenna and I decorating Christmas wreathes with Fijian ladies as well as my tattoo.


9. I tried brussel sprouts for the first time in my life today. I love them.
10. I kiss Brizzy on the doggie lips. How can you not with a face like this!? Don't answer that. Its a face only a mother could love...and I do!

Tri to Save the TaTas! My first fundraising effort.

As you may have read on my blog, here, I am raising money for breast cancer awareness and research through the Susan G Komen Passionately Pink for the Cure program throughout my Ironman training.

This fundraiser is for the ladies...or for the men who want to buy jewelry for the ladies! :)

I met with a Lia Sophia representative who agreed to donate 30% of her proceeds from February 1^st until February 25^th to my fundraising initiative.  She is also offering a special deal – buy 2 pieces of jewelry, get the next 2 pieces at 50% off. Buy 3 pieces, get the next 3 50% off. There is no limit. Lia Sophia’s jewelry is high end costume jewelry with a life time guarantee. If you are interested in ordering any jewelry to help support my cause, you can browse the catalogs and order online through the following site: http://www.liasophia.com/sites/michelerobinson/catalog-intro  Please enter my name as the “hostess” to receive the deal!

If you would like to donate directly to Susan G Komen, you can click here.

Thanks for all of your support!

You know you are an athlete when...

As I was cleaning the apartment tonight I noticed that it screams "crazy athletes live here". Phil and I are both triathletes and sharing a one bedroom apartment makes it hard to hide that. So without further ado, here are some pictures to make you laugh/ think we are crazy.

You know you are an athlete when...

The hooks on the back of your bathroom door are used only to dry your bathingsuits...

Your bathroom cabinet has a lifetime supply of Osteo Biflex because it was half off at CVS...

Your foam roller is trying to hide behind the end table...

You use your aero bars as a drying rack for workout clothes....

Your boyfriend's bikes block the door to the balcony...

Your living room has more bikes then people who live in the apartment....

You have the economy size of GU, GU Chomps and Body Glide...

You have to keep your GU on the window sill because your boyfriend takes up a whole entire kitchen cabinet with his nutrition....

You have muscle milk and protien powder in more flavors than the Baskin Robbins ice cream flavors...

You have a shelf full of race medals...

You have dirty dishes in the sink, but your water bottles are clean....

Your dog's favorite toy is a water bottle from your fuel belt...

So there is no hiding that Phil and I are crazy athletes. oh well. Hope this post made you smile! :)

The Trifecta

Today, I participated in my own little triathlon..only in backwards order! I ran the Love the Run You're With 5k...then met up with Phil for an awesome bike ride...and then had my third session of a swim clinic for triathletes I signed up for. I call it the trifecta :)

Lets take it from the top!

Last night we celebrated my friend Bill's birthday by bar hopping with a group of my college friends. Phil and I hung out for a while and had a few drinks but went home earlier then everyone else (which was still past my bedtime!) since we both had plans in the morning.



Me and the birthday boy!




super stars


After not nearly enough sleep I woke up on Sunday morning and walked over the start line of the 5k. Its awesome living 3 blocks from the start line! My legs were screaming- I think the fact that I missed all of my workouts last week combined with drinking wine on Friday night, running 16 miles on Saturday, having 2 or so beers on Saturday night and not going to bed until almost 2 am did not help me run a fast 5k. Actually, I ran the slowest 3.2 miles of my life. It was more so a recovery run than a race for me. I was there for the shirts, friends and brunch :) But look at me and the girls in our awesome shirts we made on Friday night!!

After the race recovery run we headed to a local pub for the brunch buffet.

Despite being sore from the waist down, after brunch I met Phil at Hains Point for a few laps on Pink Lady.
Hains Point is a flat 3ish mile loop in DC with little cars. Many many bikers do laps around Hains Point.

random map I took from google!

I am getting more comfortable riding the aero bars. I also love riding with Phil because he is such a strong rider and gives me wonderful tips and also reasonably pushes me to go a little faster, keep my heels flat, ect. We held a 16-18 mph pace for the first 2 laps while my legs loosened up. Even during those 2 laps we did  sprints where we held a faster pace for about 30 seconds. Once my legs loosened up we picked up the pace quite a bit and did another lap.

And then treated ourselves to oreo milkshakes :)

After an hour long nap and grocery shopping, Phil and I were off to our 3rd session of "Freestyle for triathletes" swimming clinic.

Phew! I am tired and my legs are sore. off to bed for me!!

T-shirt making party!

Last night, in preparation for the Love the Run You're with 5k- my friend Alison hosted what we dubbed a "Puff Paint Party". We had wine, cheese, amazing food and decorated shirts for the valentines day themed event.

nom nom nom

We decided that we would draw names out of a hat and then make our shirts say "I love (insert name here)"

I picked Katy! I didnt snap a picture of my finished shirt, so you'll have to wait until tomorrows post to see the amazingness.

It was really nice to have a girls night! I think we all had a ton (maybe too much?) fun decorating our shirts. We were all sprawled on the floor of Alison's apartment passing around the puffy paint and stencils.

We decided that for every race we run, we will have to have a PPP (Puff Paint Party). and no boys allowed! :)

Maria had my name...but she wasn't feeling well last night so she didn't make it. So I designed her shirt myself.

Heh. Hope she likes it!

Despite the glass(es) of wine and being up past my bed time, Alison, Whitney and I woke up and ran 16 miles this morning. Oh man could I feel the wine! I was extra thirsty and drank all 4 of my Fuel Belt bottles full of water before mile 14. It was Alison's longest run of her life to date and she rocked it. We kept a 9:30ish pace strong until the end. I wasn't feeling very sore, but I opted for my second ever ice bath anyway.

I thought it would be easier the second time. It wasn't.

Off to celebrate Bill's 25th birthday via the Keg Bus!! Cant wait to share pictures tomorrow of all 12 ladies in their homemade shirts!!!

PS- I plan to take this 5k pretty easy...a nice slow jog. However, I still think I can set a PR (personal record) because my only 5k ever was last summer and I was sick as a dog and I walked half of it. :)

Life got in the way

This week has kicked my butt! and not in the "I worked out so hard and am really sore way" but more so in the "I has so much going on with work and other obligations that I skipped all of my work outs" kind of way.

I hate not getting in my workouts. Missing one is fine...who am I kidding, I usually miss at least one every week. But this week I missed several..as in like all of them. I had some crazy deadlines with work as well as another obligation that took a few hours every evening this week.

I also wasn't feeling very well so I couldn't bring myself to wake up at 5am for swim practice or any other form of activity.

Enough complaining. This week sucked. Next week things should be calmer and I wont miss work outs.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! I have an awesome weekend ahead...

Tomorrow night is girls night! We are making shirts for the Love the Run You're With 5k on Sunday.

Saturday is a 16 mile run and then my best guy friends 25th birthday celebration.

Sunday is the 5k followed by a nap and swim practice!  

Boyfriend points!

I forgot to mention in my post yesterday how Phil has been extra wonderful this weekend! He timed my 20 mile run so that he would be finishing his shorter run around the same time. He timed it perfectly and met up with Whitney and I for the last mile. It was really great motivator.

When we got back to our apartment he told me he had already gone and gotten us bagels and filled bags with ice for my knees. What a guy! and while I was stretching and icing he took care of walking the dog.


Ill take bags of ice and bagels over flowers any day :)

September 2010

Running 20 miles makes me hungry!

Holy crap. My little legs ran 20 miles this morning. 2-0.

I prepped for this run like I would any other long run but after last weekend's failed 18 mile run, I was a little nervous. I'm lying- I was alot nervous.

I did have new tights to try out though which I was super excited about! I had ordered the CW-X stabilyx tights after doing alot of research on running and recovering while wearing compression tights. The reviews for these tights were extremely positive so I figured I would give it a shot.

The CW-X has this to say about the tights:

The Stabilyx tights provide optimum targeted support to the core and knees. They’re ideal for activities with lateral motion such as skiing and snowboarding and for athletes seeking our best form of knee support. The patented Support Web bands together the muscles and ligaments of the lower leg to stabilize the knee and reduce vibration for increased efficiency. The Support Web also harnesses the midsection, supporting the lower abdominals, hips and back to channel power through the core. Variable compression facilitates circulation during and after activity, minimizing lactic acid build-up so that you can be active longer and recover faster.


The tights did not disappoint. I had absolutely no knee or hip pain. They are meant to fit very tightly so they took a little work to get on (you have to pull them up like pantyhose...get them to your knees first and then work them the rest of the way up) and get situated but I loved the compression feeling. I think the "support web" that goes around your knees and up your IT band is wonderful. It kept everything in line. I highly recommend these. (CW-X did not pay me to write this or pay for me to try their expensive tights).

Whitney and I hoofed it from my place in Crystal City down the Mount Vernon trail, through Georgetown, up Rock Creek Park pas the National Zoo. We ran through the zoo in hopes to see some animals, but it was a no go. Did I mention it was raining all morning? We did 20 miles in the rain. When I asked Whitney yesterday if we should run even if it was raining she said "Well it could be raining the day of the marathon". She is so smart.

So with sopping wet feet we finished 20 miles in 3 hours and 13 minutes! Only 1 more "longest run of my life" before the marathon!

woo! 20 miles! Brizzy was excited as well.

After stretching and icing, I needed food. I burned over 2000 calories during that run! I ate a half of a bagel before Phil and I went out to get some serious grub.

Rocklands BBQ! I got the rib platter...2 pork ribs, 1 beef rib, mac 'n' cheese and mashed potatoes. I couldn't finish it all, but I was damn close to licking the plate clean. Hey, I was hungry :)

Now I am hanging out on the couch, thinking about taking a nap. Brizzy is already napping on Phil while he plays video games. Look at that little pug butt.

have a great Saturday! :)

Pink Lady

All bikes- like pets and people- need a name. When I picked up my new bike last Friday, I knew she needed a name that suited her. She was beautiful, intimidating, so girly, and very bad-ass.

So what came to mind? The Pink Ladies from Grease!

I can see the resemblance :)

Girly yet bad-ass. Perfect.